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Monday, June 30, 2014

Welcome back blogging babes! I am glad to have you here for our weekly party!

In my life since last week:

Summer vacation continues in the Sweet Silly Sara residence. The kids are enjoying having their father home everyday. I am getting a little too used to having him home. Having someone to help with the cleaning is awesome. Getting to sleep until 7:30 every other morning has been quite a treat also.

We really haven't been doing anything exciting... or much of anything really. Today it was nice outdoors but quite humid. Instead of attempting to entertain my kids we all piled in the car and took a country drive. No radio, no air conditioning, just wind in our hair and conversation.

If you are doing anything exciting, let me live vicariously through you. Tell me about your week in a comment.

Don't forget to visit the 2 links before yours in the party, just to keep it fair! Please visit and share as many as you can. We all love comments. {wink, hint, nudge} It makes me so sad to see that most of you are not playing by the rules and visiting other links.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

My little boy loves animals. He wants to play with our cat, who is not down with playing. He begs the dogs to "Come outside to play" but they are older and they don't play much anymore. When we go to the grocery store Roo begs to see the fish. He wants a pet of his own so badly.

While I indulge Roo whenever I can, I realize he isn't ready for the responsibility of a live animal. I had an idea to satisfy his need for a pal to love through a cute little craft {super easy to do too}.

To make a First Pet Pal you will need:

Pom Poms
A marker
Glue

First glue the pom poms together as you like to form a body. We did one with 3 segments and we did one with only 1 pom pom for a body.

Next glue on smaller pom poms for ears. You could also use them for noses, eyes or ears.

Then draw on a happy face.

After the glue had dried I handed Roo his First Pet Pal that we made and he was very pleased. I asked Roo what it was, he told me it was a bug. He carried his bug around all afternoon. We made a little house for his new pet out of a toilet paper roll.

Roo couldn't wait to show his new first pet, the bug off to anyone that would look. We made a few of these because it was fun!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

On Saturday #214 (34 for Harper) the kids and I were up early as is the norm. Roo wanted to take a walk, and I thought that was a good idea. I had hopes of walking some of the rotten out of him before his baseball game.

We walked for about a mile and a half. The morning was lovely. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping. My kids were sweet. I couldn't ask for much more.

Baseball was cute. Roo tried. He went home happy. I took advantage of the sunny day and tackled my lawn care duties while Miss Harper had a nap.

Harper is getting so big! She is gorgeous, has the craziest cutest hair ever. She loves her brother and wants to be wherever he is. Sometimes I grab her and we get in bed with Roo in the morning, she sees him and she squeals with happiness. She crawls over to him and puts her face up against his with a huge smile.

Later that day we took a walk at Lowe Volk, which was semi nice until we got deep enough in the woods to be attacked by mosquitoes despite using repellant.

We kept the last weekend of the school year quiet. I felt that I spent it with my kids and we were outside for most of the day, so it was a success.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Getting the kids into a good bedtime routine can sometimes prove to be a true challenge — especially when they’re going through those ‘difficult’ phases. Establishing a good bedtime routine early on is really important, and not only because it’s proven that children who do not get enough sleep do not develop properly or learn well, but because you are actually doing yourself a favor! If your children get enough sleep, they’re more likely to be sweet-tempered and happier in their daily lives — and that means that you don’t have to deal with grumpy, tearful tantrums on a regular basis!

There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your kids get the sleep they need, the easiest of which is making sure they’ve got comfortable bedding, including some decent duvet covers. There’s nothing like a freshly washed, soft duvet to lure even the most stubborn of kids into a pleasant slumber.

One way to make sure that your kids stick to a bedtime routine is persistence. Sticking to the plan 90 percent of the time is important, which means that the occasional night out or staying up late is permitted, but it has to remain something exclusive and exciting. The rest of the time ensure that your child has a safe, secure place to sleep and settle into a steady bedtime routine.

The key to the routine is regularity and repetition. Begin with bathing and brushing their teeth, followed by popping their pajamas on and straight under the duvet. Reading a story might be boring for you, but look on it as chance to bond with your children rather than an onerous task. Kids love repetition: it gives them a sense of security, so start your routine with a book you like to read too! You don’t have to read them a story, you can make up a tale, asking for their input as you go along or you can sing them a song or recite a favorite poem — or even simply sit and chat to them for a few minutes about how their day has been!

Enforcing bedtime is, at first, sure to be tricky as your children will test their boundaries, pushing to see how many times you will come in, bring them a glass of water or take them to the toilet before you put your foot down. Save yourself the hassle by having a zero tolerance for these and running through a little checklist before turning the light out. Something like “Do you have a glass of water? Do you need the loo? Are you nice and sleepy? Right, then off to sleep!” followed by a quick kiss goodnight and tuck-in of the duvet covers, should signal the end of the day to them. You’ll find that it takes a relatively short time for the children to get used to falling asleep at that time, and before long, bedtime will become a pure pleasure for everyone concerned.

Thank you for dropping by to link up. I can't wait to see what you have to share this week!

Remember, please follow the hostesses. Link up anything family friendly that you like. I am changing the rules to include giveaways because we all love a good giveaway right? And the point of this party is to support our fellow blogger right?

I would also like you to visit the 2 links before yours in the party, just to keep it fair! Please visit and share as many as you can. We all love comments. {wink, hint, nudge} It makes me so sad to see that most of you are not playing by the rules and visiting other links.

Please note that by linking up to Tell Me About It Tuesday you are granting the hostesses permission to share your post on our social media accounts and or in round up posts. We may also feature your work in the next party.

Don't forget to visit the 2 links before yours in the party, just to keep it fair! Please visit and share as many as you can. We all love comments. {wink, hint, nudge} It makes me so sad to see that most of you are not playing by the rules and visiting other links.

Okay, here it is... I have somehow lost 9 Saturdays in the last 18 months. I keep trying to catch up to no avail. So I am going to admit defeat and play catch up....

Saturday #215 (#35 for Harp) Saturday #216 ( #36 for Harp) Saturday #217 (#37) Saturday #218 (#38) Saturday #219 (#39) Saturday #220 (#40) Saturday #221 (#41) I have no idea what we did on these missing Saturdays! In reality they were spent at t ball- but me being the ditz I can be didn't realize how behind I was in this series until I realized... Harp is not 34 weeks old.

Since I have no real family tales to tell I will show you photos of my life.

Roo and Jae- Best Buds

Roo exploring the statues at the Kingwood

Roo at Kingwood again

They are multiplying?! I found a baby in my laundry.

Happy Harper at the park making friends and influencing people.

Happy girl!

Hey! It's me! Sweet Silly Sara

Roo getting ready to hit one out of the park?

Goofy boy!

Roo gives Harp a lot of kisses, she loves it!

Mom was cleaning in the kitchen so Roo said he would have his snack in the kitchen to keep me company.

Roo likes to hold Harper and watch tv... Harper likes to be held by Roo so it works well.

Hey! We wore this girl out finally!

Roo and {Mr.} Adam in the woods.

Harper chilling in the stroller.

Proud boys with their medals from t ball.

Okay, the series will continue as it should from this point forward... Thanks for bearing with me!

Being the mother of a 4 year old is a lot like being a boy scout... We have the same motto anyhow. Always Be Prepared. For me, that means always have a change of clothes, baby wipes, a snack and toys on hand.

In my purse you will always find a few small toys. While I like for Roo to play with cars, action figures and puzzles- I want to keep him entertained and I want him to learn or to brush up on what he knows via playtime whenever it is possible.

I created the perfect size toy for carrying in a handbag or diaper bag. This is ideal for pulling out on a long car trip or at a restaurant.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

My family holds the opinion that there should always be treats in the cookie jar... I am not much of a baker but I can meet them in the middle and hook up Rice Krispie style treats on a moments notice. Thanks to all of the awesome bloggers that link up with us at Tell Me About It Tuesday I have an array of yummy recipes to try out on my family and I couldn't resist sharing a collection of Rice Krispie Treat recipes.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Making food interesting to a picky eater takes patience and creativity. My son Roo is going through the phase of eating only specific foods (chicken fingers, applesauce, yogurt, cheese quesadillas). I am trying to help him experience a variety of food and enjoy eating it... Which hasn't gone well... If he lays eyes on cucumbers, he will hide. When I eat carrots, he cries for me to stop...

I am taking the approach of healthy eating to a new level by making food fun.

What could be more fun and appealing than this Tropical Fruit Boat?

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup blueberry or grape juice

2 bananas

1/2 cup watermelon cubes (1/2-inch)

1/2 cup pineapple cubes (1/2-inch)

1 cup mango cubes (1/2 inch)

2 fruit roll-up sheets, any flavor

4 thin pretzel sticks, each 4 inches long

Directions:

In each of 4 shallow bowls, place ½-cup blueberries and 3 tablespoons juice.

Cut each banana in half crosswise on a diagonal, then split halves lengthwise.

In the center of each bowl, arrange 2 banana slices to form the sides of the “boat.”

Evenly divide the watermelon, pineapple and mango in the banana boats.

To make the boat “sails,”: on a cutting board, lay one fruit roll-up sheet over the other and press together; cut the double layer into 4 triangles.

Make 3 small cuts along one edge of each triangle; thread onto pretzel sticks.

Push the pretzel sail into a fruit cube.

Serve immediately.

Thanks to my pals at the Blueberry Council for supplying the recipe and image.

Friday, June 20, 2014

If you need a yummy dessert to take to your 4th of July festivities you won't want to miss this recipe for Fresh Blueberry Napoleons. Imagine something fruity, sweet and rich that will leave your loved ones talking about your amazing baking skills...

Thursday, June 19, 2014

On Saturday #213 (33 for Harper) everyone was healthy. The day was spent much like all of the others as of the last few months, at baseball.

Now, to be honest. I am behind on this series. Like several weeks behind, so I am trying to play catch up. Details are fuzzy at best. Now that it is summer and {Mr.} Adam is home, the days all run together. So... the next few posts in this series may or may not be accurate...

After baseball I believe I came home to pack a lunch. We are trying a new family hobby of geocaching. To be honest, I do not love the new hobby. I like walking with the kids, but I am not going to go digging around to find these things. I go strictly for moral support.

The kids grew tired of geocaching, so we took a walk around the lake and made a stop at the swing sets. Roo was happy to get in a little playing time. He sweetly asked of we could get ice cream. Being on a diet, ice cream was the last thing I needed, but Roo is little! He earned it and he very wisely told his dad that Harper wanted ice cream too, no one says no to Harper. Since everyone else was eating junk food I caved and had a sundae which promptly made me feel sick... lesson learned.

After geocaching, lunch, ice cream and tons of walking the kids were tired. We headed home to tuck little ones into bed.

The day was well spent. I am sure I forgot a few details, but you get the idea of Saturday #213 out of 940.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I am watching what I eat so all I can think about is... cookies! While this is semi-torturous for me, it is good for you. My sudden obsession interest in cookies inspired me to check out some of the great links submitted to the Tell Me About It Tuesday linky party hosted right here on Sweet Silly Sara and compile a small roundup of mouth watering temptation- cookie style.

Monday, June 16, 2014

The never ending weekend continues in my home. We have had fun so far a week and a half into summer. We wrapped up the t ball season and went out with a bang. My son threw a water slide party for his friends on the team. We had a good turn out. The kids had a blast! Hearing the laughter of my son and his pals made my heart super happy. One of the moms texted me after the party and said her son was so happy and told her Roo was his best friend ever! {Aww!}

Because I am lame and dramatic and at odds with my ISP and my service is crawling at 3.77 Mbps tonight (as fast as you can possibly go my foot!) I don't have photos... I would be waiting until Christmas for them to load at this rate.

On to the party!

Thank you for dropping by to link up. I can't wait to see what you have to share this week!

Remember, please follow the hostesses. Link up anything family friendly that you like. I am changing the rules to include giveaways because we all love a good giveaway right? And the point of this party is to support our fellow blogger right?

I would also like you to visit the 2 links before yours in the party, just to keep it fair! Please visit and share as many as you can. We all love comments. {wink, hint, nudge} It makes me so sad to see that most of you are not playing by the rules and visiting other links.

Please note that by linking up to Tell Me About It Tuesday you are granting the hostesses permission to share your post on our social media accounts and or in round up posts. We may also feature your work in the next party.

Don't forget to visit the 2 links before yours in the party, just to keep it fair! Please visit and share as many as you can. We all love comments. {wink, hint, nudge} It makes me so sad to see that most of you are not playing by the rules and visiting other links.